The Forgetting

by Hannah Beckerman

Dear Squidge. TAKE A STEP BACK AND DO NOT TOUCH THE BISCUITS!! You did ask me to stop you eating them! I love you. D xxx.

Stephen raises an eyebrow, smiles. ‘Really? Usually you won’t go near pasta. You say it’s the devil incarnate for women approaching forty.’

second phone,

‘But you’re always with them. The amount of time you spend with them, it’s like you’re still a child.’

Hearing Stephen’s explanation, it suddenly made sense why so much of our furniture seems ill-fitting in this house.

They aren't really married?

I just really love the idea of finding us a place to live and surprising you with it on the day we move. Let me do that for you, please?’

dodgy!

‘Given we’re having a fresh start, what do you think about getting your hair cut short? I think it would really suit you.’

Sometimes Livvy thought Dominic had a direct line into her mind, could read her thoughts and feelings the way other people read the pages of a book.

‘Please let me do this for you. Don’t make me waste all the effort I’ve gone to. I really want to see your face when we walk through the front door.

A woman who didn’t dare leave the house for too long in case I missed his calls: those regular daily interactions designed to keep me at home, entirely reliant on him.